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Online Master's Degree Homepage
For graduate student information contact
Keith Grant-Davie
Students complete 33 credit hours to graduate. Three online classes are offered each fall semester, and another three in the spring semester. Occasionally, courses will be offered in the summer--either online seminars or 3-credit, one-week, on-campus workshops. Students may also petition the Director of Graduate Studies to substitute an appropriate course in another program or department for a course in group C below.
The curriculum has been designed to allow students to complete all requirements within a three-year period, although students may take longer if they choose. Students must complete the degree within six years.
There are no prerequisite courses, although some students may be advised to take preparatory courses. Courses may be taken in any sequence, although students should complete the two core requirements (6400 and 6410) at their first opportunity to do so after entering the program.
Students in the Master's program are also allowed to take 7000-level courses in the Utah State PhD program in Theory & Practice of Professional Communication to fill credits toward completion of their Master's degree. Such 7000-level courses are offered on the Utah State campus only, so students must be able to attend face-to-face classes to enroll in these courses. For advising on how these courses will fit into the four groups below, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.
Students select classes from the three groups below for a total of 33 credit hours. All classes below are offered for 3 credits each.
A. Core Requirements (6 credits required)
6400: Advanced Editing
6410: Theory & Research in Professional Communication
B. Issues in Professional Communication (6-15 credits required)
6420: Usability Studies & Human Factors in Professional Communication
6430: Publications Management
6450: Reading Theory & Document Design
6890: Studies in Writing & Rhetoric (repeatable for up to 6 credits)
C. Specialized Publications (6-21 credits required)
6460: Studies in Digital Media (repeatable for up to 12 credits)
6470: Studies in Specialized Documents (repeatable for up to12 credits)
6400: Advanced Editing (3)
Examines complex roles editors assume in creating technical and non-technical documents. Principal components include working with the substance of documents, mediating the writer-reader relationship, and exemplifying the application of rhetorical theory in editing.
6410: Theory & Research in Professional Communication (3)
Introduction to contemporary theories of written discourse; emphasis on the implications of these theories for research in professional communication.
6420: Usability Studies & Human Factors in Professional Communication (Usability Studies) (3)
This course examines the concepts and practices of usability studies and human factors in the design and production of print and online documents. Emphasis is placed on developing objectives, criteria, and measures for conducting tests in the lab and field.
6430: Publications Management (PM) (3)
Covers processes for developing and producing publications, including information development cycles, supervision, and budgets.
6450: Reading Theory & Document Design (3)
Examines how reading theory interacts with the rhetoric of graphics, layout, and type to influence the way documents are designed for maximum information and readability.
6460: Studies in Digital Media (SDM) (3)
Focuses on the production of advanced digital media documents. During this course, students examine theories underlying such publications, plus related hardware and software. Topics vary. (With permission from the Director of Graduate Studies, this course may be repeated for up to 12 credits.)
6470: Studies in Specialized Documents (SSD) (3)
Focuses on the writing and design of specific genres in professional communication. Genres include environmental impact statements, software documentation, proposals, manuals, annual reports, newsletters, and fact sheets. Topics vary. (With permission from the Director of Graduate Studies, this course may be repeated for up to 12 credits.)
6890: Studies in Writing & Rhetoric (SWR) (3)
Provides students and faculty with opportunity for in-depth study of timely topics. (With permission from the Director of Graduate Studies, this course may be repeated for up to 6 credits.)